White Dragon
by redbarron297
Summary: Mystical things happen in the avatar universe. At the Height of the 100 years war the cycle of rebirth places the soul of a young man from our world into a newborn Fire Nation noble. Now, with mysterious flashes of memory and the ability to wield white fire, Kenta will leave his own mark on the story we know and love. First Fic, semi-self insert, rated T in case I mess it up.
1. Chapter 1

White Dragon

Ch. 1: Rebirth

**Authors Note: So this is my First fanfiction. As an avid Lurker for many years I thought I'd finally throw my hat into the arena, so to speak. This is ultimatly for fun. But I'm also interested in improving my writing skills in general as I'm in the process of deciding what direction I want to take my life after college (community leadership or creative writing). In any case, I hope you enjoy the opening chapter to this story. I might eventually combine this chapter and the next one, we'll see how feedback goes.**

**This story is set in the Avatar: The last Airbender show, during the events of the 100 year war. It's a self "Self-Insert" story, since I find the notion of having that knowledge fascinating but don't actually like it when people literally insert themselves. As, such I'll be working to keep Kenta balanced in the world. Feedback is appreciated in that regard.**

**Oh right disclaimers: I do not own the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe or any of it's original characters, nor do I want any credit for it. This is for fun and practice.**

**Enjoy :)**

Chapter 1

General Rishi Katsuo was not a patient man, but even he had to admit that he was out of his depth standing in front of the ornate door to his bedroom. A brief surge of annoyance passed over him, whether because of his sudden lack of confidence or the fact that his bedroom had been transformed into a makeshift delivery room he didn't know.

Shaking away the annoyance Rishi's mind instead wandered to where he was most comfortable, a battlefield. Only a month ago he was leading an army against the rabble that was the northern forces of the earth Kingdom. He had already claimed many victories, but was forced to hand over his campaign temporarily to another general to return to his pregnant wife now that she was in her last term.

His replacement was rather incompetent and he fully expected to return to his siege broken and his army on it's back foot.

Pacing now, the general's mind travelled to today's events.

He had been in his study, halfheartedly reading through reports while trying to figure out how he could use his remaining time in the Capital to gain standing with the fire Lord. He was good enough, and had earned his rank well. Though his victories were overshadowed by Prince Iroh's, the famed "Dragon of the West". Fire Lord Azulon had even begun inviting him to his council of General Meetings, a high honor and a good sign for promotion… if he could find a more suitable replacement for himself in the field.

That was when a servant came dashing into the room.

"Sir!" he stuttered "The Baby's coming!"

Surprise flitted across the General's face.

"But…"

"She's still 3 weeks out, but coming is coming sir and we thought you should know"

Blinking, General Katsuo stood silently, fixed his fire nation uniform, and turned to the servant

"Lead me to her"

And that his how he found himself standing in front of his own room, having finally stopped pacing and screwing up his courage. For every man knows the fear of entering a delivery room. Finally, after what felt like an eternity but was only a few minutes he pushed the door open.

His ornate bedroom was a flurry of activity. Midwifes flit around the room with various expressions of worry on their face. The dressers and end tables had been cleared of ornaments to make room for the various towels and other equipments they would need. The head midwife was sat upon a foot rest at the end of the bed facing the General's wife, Yumi.

There eyes locked for a moment before the General briskly walked to her side and offered his hand. Respect and admiration colored his features masking his worries. He knew she needed the familiarity of his strength.

At a loss for words Rishi could only muster a simple "Hello"

"Hello" she replied, a touch of amusement coloring her features before being overtaken by a sudden burst of pain.

"Focus up young miss, I need you to push with the contractions or the little one's gonna stay in there all night"

"He seems in more than enough of a rush" The General declared blandly. The Midwife offered no reply except sending the General an admonishing glare. He took the hint, in some matters even a noble has no authority, and instead decided to focus on Yumi.

It seemed like hours before the baby finally came, a tiny wailing baby boy, as the general had guessed. The midwife quickly swaddled the boy before handing him over to his mother.

"What should we name him?" she asked

The baby slowly stopped his crying and wrapped his tiny fist around his mothers outstretched finger. She smiled, warm and full of joy.

"Kenta I think."

"Kenta" The General repeated. "A strong name"


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, Sorry it's been so long. But I haven't forgotten, just got busy with life and such.**

**Hard Won Return**

The large manor in the main section of the Fire Nation Capitol hadn't changed in the intervening years, at least that's what General Katsuo thought as he walked to his gated front door with a small retinue of staff and servants. It's tall pagoda style structure towered over the shops and small temples of the nearby street.

As a noble living in the city he had a degree of control over the people living in his district. People set up shops and other businesses and paid there local lord a percentage of the profits in taxes. Katsuo was a pragmatic man and let the sprawl of his district reach even up to his front gates. He levied strict control over the well being of his people but also kept them safe using his soldiers and other guards. It was a well developed relationship and the increased income allowed him to gain more monetary, and thus political, standing in the capital without having to raise taxes.

it was for this reason that Rishi was able to get himself off the battlefield from time to time to visit his family back in the Fire Nation. His importance to the city as well as his significant accomplishments warranted the visit and offered him a chance to schmooze with other people of political importance.

The front door of his manor swung open revealing Yumi looking radiant in the morning sun, her porcelain features and bright blue eyes glinted with happiness. Behind her stood a mousy girl maybe 20 years of age, short cropped hair of a mousy brown color framed a delicate face.

Rishi didn't allow his smooth features to alter upon seeing his wife, being of far more control than that, his pace did quicken slightly however within the last few yards of the entrance.

"My lovely wife, how I have missed you these past two years" he approached the beautiful, raven haired woman.

her face lit up as well and with a brief moment of indecision decided to throw herself into an embrace with her husband "I've missed you, it's been far to long"

"I know dear, I know" he kissed her gently on the lips while disengaging from the hug "but it's unseemly to display such affection in public"

"Oh posh, nobles marry for love same as everyone else." a young servant girl standing behind her began covered her mouth to disguise a laugh, regardless Rishi took notice- a frown etching his features- and began moving into the foyer.

"So, great General Katsuo, what is it you would like to do today"

Katsuo dismissed the servants before replying, though the young girl with Lady Yumi remained.

"I intend to see my children. Then, if it pleases you, spend the remainder of this first day out on the veranda catching up"

A gentle smile graced her porcelain features "That sounds lovely. Kenta's out training with Master Lee. He's a little genius our boy." a proud sort of laugh escaped her as she continued "I'll meet you on the veranda dear, Meridi could you please see that tea is prepared and any meals are brought there for the day?"

"Of course mam"

"And when Taiya wakes from her nap bring her as well, I'm sure the general would love to see his daughter"

Meridi smiled brightly, "I'm sure she would be delighted mam"

"Thank you Meridi" As the servant flitted off to see to her duties Yumi grabbed Rishi by the front of his uniform and engaged him in a long kiss. As she broke away she murmured "I am so happy you've returned to me safely"

"As am I. I shall see you soon" with that he kissed her one last time before moving towards the training grounds near the western side of his manor. His thoughts drifting to his son.

He had been away two years this last journey, but the total time his son had been alive numbered 7. In that time Rishi was only able to visit three times what with the war. It was on the second visit, when his son was five years old, that they had discovered he had the ability to generate and wield fire.

Called a firebender, within the fire nation this ability was not considered rare, particularly among the nobility, but wasn't particularly common either. Each of the four great nations had an associated element for which they were named and benders of that element followed the same principle as those in the fire nation: not common, but not particularly rare.

Rishi new all of these things and, despite neither himself or his wife being firebenders, knew that his son could inherit the trait from either line regardless. It was a proud moment when he learned his son was a fire bender and Rishi immediately searched for a tutor, money being no object.

As Rishi walked into the open air training grounds. An arena style area surrounded by four walls for observation with a sparing pit in the middle. The place doubled as an arena in the event of an Agne Kai being declared in his district- a duel between fire benders over honor. As Rishi entered he spotted the trainer first.

Master Yulong Lee was a renowned fire bender in tournaments across the Fire Nation. Standing in front of him was a small boy 7 years of age, his frame racked with exhaustion as he channeled bursts of bright orange fire at a wooden dummy. Master Lee glanced surreptitiously behind his back as Rishi entered the arena and stopped near the entrance. Master lee moved quickly and silently to stand by the General's side, making sure not to alert the boy to his presence and allowing his father to continue to observe.

"What is he working on?" The General asked quietly, his eyes following the movements of Kenta's hands with ease

"Your boy caught on to the basics of fire bending exceptionally fast, but I noticed something odd about his flames." Rishi turned, another frown etched on his weathered features "His flames seemed quite… small, I suppose is the best word. Fire benders tend to utilize the plumbing nature of flame to engulf enemies. Your son's flames seemed more… concentrated. I admit, at first, I believed him simply have poor drive, a fire benders flame is powered by his emotions after all, but when I pressed him into a short spar I noticed that his flames were exceptionally hot."

"Meaning?"

"That while most fire benders use their passions to engulf, he used his to enhance the heat of the flames themselves. As far as can be seen this was by accident, a natural occurrence in his nature. I shifted his training regimen to focus on forms and styles related to precision work rather than the more standard fire nation forms. Right now, he's working on fire daggers."

The general once again turned his attention back to his son, focusing on the contact points of the dummy rather than his technique. Now he noticed that, while some flames still licked themselves upwards from the dummy, he was cutting the dummy more like a knife than punching flame at them like he'd seen his bodyguards do.

Master Lee caught the look on Rishi's face and decided to speak again "Your son is a prodigy Lord Katsuo, that is to be sure, but he is still a boy under there, albeit an intelligent one."

General Katsuo turned back to Lee before the old man continued "Be sure to remember" then he called out to his charge "Boy! Your father has returned, will you stand there all day like a simpleton or will you show him the respect he deserves?"

Startled the boy over charged his flame dagger and instead sent a sharp blast of fire that ripped a hold through it's chest and quickly began engulfing the poor thing. He whipped around and sprinted over to his father before stopping short, a look of indecision crossing his features.

"Bow boy!" ordered Master Lee

Kenta jumped before quickly moving into a bow. His face was clearly uneasy and Rishi made note to discuss a possibility of an etiquette teacher with his wife, if she was teaching him he doubted he'd have any respect for protocol. Filling that thought away for later Rishi spoke to his young son.

"Very good son, but remember that those of higher standing must be offered courtesies before casual conversation can be entered"

"of, of course father. i know." Kenta frowned deeply as he wondered at the tall man standing before him. He had dark hair like his mother and already he could see little of himself in his father's features. A well trimmed beard worked it's way around his face and a well done mustache completed the picture. he had charcoal eyes, very different from his mothers, and his own, bright blue ones. Despite everything, it was awkward being around the man. He had grown to the age of 7 and had only seen his father for a few months in total.

Rishi was doing his own similar examination of Kenta, his face a blank mask. certainly he could see some of his features on the boy, but in truth he had taken mostly after his mother. The high born structure of his face and blue eyes with raven hair, indeed it seemed the most prominent feature he had inherited from Rishi was the somewhat tanner complexion and the shape of his nose.

"Father, it's good to see you." Rishi frowned somewhat, not at the admission, but at the lack of anything more.

"I'm glad to see you Kenta. It's been far to long and to many miles. Hopefully this trip will be my last one, if all goes well."

"Really? why's that?"

"Nothing you need concern yourself with son, just know that their are plans in motion."

"It has to do with the war right? You have a plan to end it that you don't want getting out"

Rishi raised an eyebrow at his son's leap at logic and glanced at Yulong before replying "Yes, that's right." He walked them over to a nearby bench and sat, motioning for his son to sit next to him. Kenta hesitated a moment, then climbed up next to his father. "War strategies are important to keep in as few hands as possible, do you know why"

Kenta thought only a moment before responding "So that the enemy can't get them, and stop them or turn them to an advantage."

"Exactly" Rishi actually smiled at his answer "I have recently met with Prince Iroh, who is leading our forces in the western Earth Kingdom, as I am in charge of the bulk of our forces in the east we decided to come up with a more joint strategy."

"Two heads are better than one" the young boy squeaked

"Why yes, exactly" Rishi didn't betray surprise at his boys insight, hoping to establish some familiarity with his son. He knew all to well how difficult it was to try and have a connection with a father who was away at war.

"So you see, I can't tell you what the plans details are. That knowledge is reserved for the Fire Lord and His council. I can tell you that it involves Ba Sing Se"

"The Earth Kingdom's capital?" Kenta seemed to be in awe, betraying the child behind the insight as his eyes grew big and lit up with excitement. "That's so cool… and you could stay home and maybe even get put on the council!"

Rishi stifled a laugh "I suppose that's a word for it. Indeed, if this works then Perhaps Fire Lord Azulon will move me to the council, at the very least I suspect Prince Iroh would like me as an advisor when he assumes his father's mantle".

"And then you'd be home all the time!" the joy Kenta expressed at the thought surprised Rishi and brought a rare smile to his face.

"Yes it would. Now I do believe you've had enough of a break for now and I'm to spend the day with your mother. We'll be in the veranda once Master Lee decides to release you." He glanced up at Yulong who nodded, happy that the General wasn't pushing orders on him.

"I won't keep him to much longer, there are some things we must keep up with, but special occasions are special occasions." He smiled down at his young charge.

Kenta bounced off the bench "I'll work extra hard so I can get done fast!"

"Speed is all well and good son, but be sure that you do it right before anything else. Haste often means mistakes, finding the right balance is important."

Kenta's enthusiasm faltered for a moment "Ok"

"Do not worry, I am not upset. But it is a father duty to impart his learned lessons on his children" With that he stood, pat his son on the head briefly and left to join his wife, mulling over his brief encounter with is son. Now time to catch up with his wife and perhaps see his daughter.

**The next chapter should switch over to Kenta's viewpoint. I don't plan on spending a ton of time in his childhood, but we'll see.**


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